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Venice council approves SMH site on Laurel Road

Published: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 3:43 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 3:43 p.m.

VENICE - The Venice City Council unanimously approved Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s request to proceed with a site plan on its 65-acre Laurel Road property. Now, a hearing for the hospital will be set before the city’s Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission originally OK’d Sarasota Memorial’s site plan for the property in August 2012. Jeff Boone, the attorney for Venice Regional Bayfront Health, filed an appeal two weeks later, according to city Planning and Zoning Department records.

The litigation has been resolved.

Venice Regional’s Boone told council members his client had “no objection to the remand under certain conditions.”

First, that Venice Regional will have party standing in all further proceedings with the Laurel Road property; second, that Boone will receive a copy of all correspondence to and from Sarasota Memorial about the property; and finally, that the Laurel Road property will be rezoned for a medical campus.

Boone and Sarasota Memorial’s lawyer Charles D. Bailey verbally agreed to the terms, although the stipulations were not included in the motion passed by the City Council.

During the meeting, City Council member Jeanette Gates asked Bailey how soon his client envisioned building the proposed medical campus.

“Is this in the works?” Gates asked. “Is it in the budget of Sarasota Memorial Hospital to do something with this property, or are we out there wasting time?”

“There is no definite timeline now,” Bailey answered.

Although the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board bought the Laurel Road site for $25 million in 2005, Bailey said other expansion projects had taken precedent while Sarasota Memorial had been in legal gridlock with the property.

<p><em>VENICE</em> - The Venice City Council unanimously approved Sarasota Memorial Hospital's request to proceed with a site plan on its 65-acre Laurel Road property. Now, a hearing for the hospital will be set before the city's Planning Commission. </p><p>The Planning Commission originally OK'd Sarasota Memorial's site plan for the property in August 2012. Jeff Boone, the attorney for Venice Regional Bayfront Health, filed an appeal two weeks later, according to city Planning and Zoning Department records.</p><p>The litigation has been resolved.</p><p>Venice Regional's Boone told council members his client had “no objection to the remand under certain conditions.”</p><p>First, that Venice Regional will have party standing in all further proceedings with the Laurel Road property; second, that Boone will receive a copy of all correspondence to and from Sarasota Memorial about the property; and finally, that the Laurel Road property will be rezoned for a medical campus. </p><p>Boone and Sarasota Memorial's lawyer Charles D. Bailey verbally agreed to the terms, although the stipulations were not included in the motion passed by the City Council. </p><p>During the meeting, City Council member Jeanette Gates asked Bailey how soon his client envisioned building the proposed medical campus.</p><p>“Is this in the works?” Gates asked. “Is it in the budget of Sarasota Memorial Hospital to do something with this property, or are we out there wasting time?”</p><p>“There is no definite timeline now,” Bailey answered.</p><p>Although the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board bought the Laurel Road site for $25 million in 2005, Bailey said other expansion projects had taken precedent while Sarasota Memorial had been in legal gridlock with the property.</p>